ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – As social media use by kids continues to rise, Missouri lawmakers are trying to get a handle on it.
Last year, the state banned kids from using cell phones in school. Now they’re considering potential limits, or even bans, of social media.
One lawmaker said he’s hoping to get the most addictive parts of social media away from kids, something the public may be open to.
“First Amendment is there for a reason but at the same time, the needs to protect our children is very important, especially in this day and age,” said Missouri resident TD El-Amin.
El-Amin says he’s hoping his state lawmakers find a balance between protecting his and others’ First Amendment rights, and keeping kids safe online.
A few Missouri lawmakers think they found it, by limiting social media use.
“They are set up for conflict, that’s how they get more engagement,” said State Senator Joe Murray.
Murray, of south St. Louis, sponsors one of two bills that advanced out of committee this week.
HB 2392 would ban kids under 14 from using social media platforms. Kids 14 and 15 could have access, with parental consent.
He says kids will adapt.
“They just want to be able to talk to their friends and they don’t need social media to do that,” said Murray.
A similar bill, HB 3393, from a different lawmaker, Don Mayhew, goes even further, banning kids under 16 from using social media, and allowing for parental oversight until their child’s 18th birthday.
Murray said his goal is for social media sites to stop using addictive design features that kids are especially susceptible to, comparing his bill to efforts the federal government undertook last century on cracking down on tobacco companies.
“The government had to step in and create laws and put up those protections,” said Murray.
“That lack of sleep is a disturbance to their education, it can have physical, emotional, as well as academic problems,” said Shea Kerkhoff, associate professor at UMSL of Literacy and Secondary Education.
Kerkhoff researches digital literacy among children, something she encourages.
“The issue is that too much of a good thing is not a good thing,” said Kerkhoff.
Kerkhoff tells First Alert 4 that when kids spend too much time on screens, they don’t exercise, lose sleep and are less social. But she believes banning social media outright is a mistake.
“It’s too easy to keep scrolling, lose track of time,” said Kerkhoff.
But she is hesitant on bans, worried kids will get around them, and that it could ostracize some kids even more.
“Social media can be a way for them to find their people, to find their support that they’re not getting at home, so cutting them off from that can be harmful,” said Kerkhoff.
Murray said he did not require an ID in his bill because the tech companies have shown they aren’t always the best at storing data.
He said they have plenty of other means to determine ages.
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